Many people choose to go on holiday in August, but that's certainly not the case with the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain.
The museum is indeed launching a theoretical and pratical workshop throughout the month of August (11/08 – 25/08; for adults) entitled "Embroidery and Adornments" and dedicated to all those people interested in learning more about these textile techniques.
Participants will get the chance to rediscover how Cristóbal Balenciaga used embroidery to great effect on some of his evening creations.
There is actually a historical connection between the Second World War and the use of embroidery: the sumptuary laws on style during the German occupation in Paris had an impact on the use of embroidery.
As decreed in 1942, in order to keep the smaller artisans in work, each fashion collection had to include at east one model containing or entirely composed of lace.
Embrodiery was to be used on 10% of all models and two of them had to consist entirely of embroidery. This is the actual reason why Balenciaga employed more lace and embroidery in his designs around that period of time (and not as it is incorrectly thought because of a Goya influence). In this way almost all the couture workforce was kept in their jobs.
One interesting point is that Balenciaga's designs were structurally modernist in their shapes and forms, which means they also had to be characterised by equally subtle, modern and innovative embroideries.
Balenciaga mainly employed among the embroiderers the House of Lesage, followed by Lisbeth and Rébé and participants to the workshop at the museum will learn about the wide range of styles and motifs that the couturier used and will then create their own elaborate designs with decorative beads.
For further information about the workshop, you can send an email to the address: [email protected]
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments